PCs Des Taviner and Reg Hollis head off to Southend, telling Sgt Gilmore that the Area Car has mechanical problems, so that Reg can propose to his girlfriend, Helen. Meanwhile Special Constable Terry Knowles and PC Nick Klein have arrested petty thief Derek Daly. As they head back for the station Knowles spots an attractive blonde in a car and persuades Klein to pull her over when she jumps a red light. Confident that he can get her phone number (like his hero Taviner would), Knowles approaches the blonde with a smile. Flirting outrageously he tries to get a date but with little success. When he threatens to do a vehicle check, the girl smiles sweetly, produces a steel-comb and thrusts it into his neck.